After taking a year off — multiple reasons stated — the team behind Sick New World metal festival in Las Vegas, Nevada, came out swinging. Not only did they come back this year ready to mosh, they also made sure to pull out every stop imaginable. With an absolutely stacked lineup, there was no shortage of entertainment to fill everyone’s tastes.

So how was it, from an attendee’s perspective? Honestly, I would give it a solid nine out of 10. Let’s chat for a moment about it all.

First and foremost, as I said already, the lineup was bonkers. With headliners System of a Down and Korn, as well as huge names like Evanescence, Bring Me the Horizon, Marilyn Manson, Knocked Loose, and more, there was coverage for just about every genre of metal you can think of. Between the four stages, there were over 50 bands/artists performing throughout the day. While I was only able to cover a small portion of the artists playing, the sheer variety of what was available to us was unreal. Personal highlights included Evanescence, P.O.D., Sleep Theory, and Wage War.

The draw to this particular event was definitely System of a Down and Korn, though they weren’t the only ones with completely filled audiences. Knocked Loose had some of the best crowd movement of the day, with a wall of death that covered almost the entirety of the GA ground. Bloodywood brought enough energy to the stage to power Vegas for years. Some festival debuts included Twin Tribes, Lords of Acid, and Coal Chamber.

A key point to mention is the stage setup: as I said, there were four stages, allowing for almost uninterrupted sets throughout the day. With the main stages, Purple and Green, you would have one side playing while the other side is preparing. Almost immediately after a set would finish, the next would begin on the adjoining stage. The other two stages, Spiral and Diablo, had a slightly different and ingenious setup. Both stages had rotating platforms, where drum kits and other equipment could be set up on and ready to go. As soon as a performance was done, the artists would step off, the platform would rotate, and the next band could start playing almost immediately. This is a large part of why the festival was able to have so many performances in such a short time span.

Obviously, the music was top-tier, but how about the other big aspects of a festival?

The Las Vegas Festival Grounds themselves are pretty great all in all. Spacing could be the biggest downside the grounds have, with there being a considerable distance between the main stages and the stage furthest away. It would take, on average, about ten minutes of walking to go between those two. Grounds keepers and festival goers alike did a wonderful job keeping the venue clean and trash free. I was genuinely surprised at how good everything looked throughout the entire day. Restrooms were kept clean and stocked, and between the three locations, I never really saw any lines. It is important to mention that on these grounds, there are restroom buildings, not port-a-potties that you find at most grounds.

Whoever was in charge of design and curb appeal needs a raise. Walking in, you were greeted with a huge purple carpet spanning the length of the entry, allowing you to walk under a curated “Sick New World” banner arch. Spaced out all over the grounds you would find signs and billboards, photo-op spots, and all sorts of little spaces, giving attendees all kinds of chances to explore. Along with all of those, you would find numerous sponsor booths, offering more photo-ops and product demos. Shout out to Eargasm for their multiple booths. I have a set of their high fidelity ear plugs that are a MUST for every concert and festival I attend.

As a Las Vegas local, one of the things I appreciated the most was the covered rest pads. There were numerous spots throughout where they had put up large sun shade structures, with artificial grass underneath. Even though the weather gave us mostly overcast skies, this shade and turf is something that is always appreciated in our desert. Thank you for that.

Unfortunately, the only thing that was lost on this festival is the same thing that is lost in almost every event nowadays: the cost of everything.

Sure, ticket prices for this event were actually pretty reasonable, given the sheer number and caliber of bands that you could see. I would like to see those come down a little in the future. That isn’t really the big issue though. Where they lost the most is the cost of food and beverage on the grounds. A standard meal would run you no less than $30; something as simple as a burger and fries, and that didn’t include a drink. Soft drinks would run you at least $6 and alcohol would set you back at least $20 a drink. By the end of the night, I was starving, so I caved and ordered some popcorn chicken; after tax and tip, it cost me just under $30 dollars. While this could be due to a number of reasons, I think we can all agree that it is just too much.

All in all, Sick New World is a example of how festivals should be done: bring in what the people want, give them a good clean space to have fun and enjoy it. I have to give them a lot of credit for this. It’s not easy to put together something of this caliber, and have it go as well as it did. Throughout the entire day, everywhere you looked, it was nothing but smiles, headbanging, moshing, and fun.

Coming in October, they are bringing the lineup, with a few changes, to Fort Worth, Texas. I hope that what they get to experience there is on the same level as what was put on here.

Tickets are still on sale currently for Sick New World Texas.